TV

The Americans
4x07 Travel Agents

Miranda
1x04 Holiday [5th watch]
Remarkable difference in number of views compared to the last one, eh. On the DVD this is called Mum's the Word, which is probably the worst change of the lot.

The Musketeers
2x01 Keep Your Friends Close
Thought it was about time we got on with this (it's only been two years since we last watched it, after all). I'd forgotten how catchy the title music was.

Films

The Sting (1973)
[#127 in 100 Films in a Year 2016]

What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...? 2016 #7

this week on 100 Films

4 brand-new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...


Barry Lyndon (1975)

This is not a simple, narrow-focused, cause-and-effect kind of story, but a fictional biopic, that ranges across Europe and across time to… what effect? It’s a Kubrick film, so the ultimate goal of the tale, the message(s) it may be trying to impart, are debatable. You could see a story of the pitfalls of hubris. You could see an exploration of how a certain class lived in this time period. You could just see a man who led an adventurous life.

Read more here.


The Imitation Game (2014)

This Turing is surely somewhere on the autistic spectrum, which at best has speculative historical basis, but Cumberbatch embodies well that social awkwardness with hidden inner genius. It would've been easy for him to slip into familiar traits from that other antisocial clever-clogs he plays, Sherlock Holmes, but at worst there are only vague and infrequent nudges to our memory of that performance. Rather, I'd argue he fully subsumes himself into this role.

Read more here.


Noah (2014)

The director of The Fountain tackles the Biblical tale of the flood as if it were also a science-fiction/fantasy adventure — familiarity with the story leads us to assume it’s set in the past, but watch without baggage and the setting looks like a post-apocalyptic future.

Read more here.


Zootropolis (2016), aka Zootopia

There’s a quote on the cover of Zootropolis’ US Blu-ray that calls it the best Disney movie in 20 years. As much as I liked Bolt and Tangled, and Mulan and The Princess and the Frog, and, yes, even Frozen, I think Zootropolis is at the very least a contender for that crown.

Read more here.


Also, my 100 Favourites series continued with 2 more posts...


Mary Poppins (1964)

When I was little, the whole part of the film around the bank, Feed the Birds, etc, was The Boring Bit between the fun and the return of the fun. Now, I still think most of Feed the Birds is a little insipid, but the instrumental reprise as Mr Banks walks slowly back to the bank, his world and everything he knows torn asunder, his humiliation imminent… It’s heartbreaking, and the music is most of the reason why.

Read more here.


The Mask of Zorro (1998)

The key to most good swashbucklers is the sword-fighting, and The Mask of Zorro is up to scratch. Banderas was trained by Bob Anderson, a legendary sword master — he also worked on Highlander, The Princess Bride, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and many more. Not least, he coached Errol Flynn of all people — and Anderson reckoned Antonio Banderas was the best swordsman he’d worked with since Flynn.

Read more here.


More next Sunday.

TV

The Americans
4x06 The Rat
If I didn't know better, I'd swear The Americans was heading towards its final ending this season. Thank goodness it isn't, because it's awesome.

Miranda
1x03 Job [2nd watch]
I'm certain this can't be just the second time I've seen this episode, but that's what this blog's records tell me. Maybe I stumbled across it halfway through one time and so didn't note it... Its DVD title is Just the Job, by-the-by.

Person of Interest
5x13 return 0 [series finale]
So, that's that. I guess they really didn't think they were coming back... although it was still open to the possibility. Anyway, not a bad ending, all things considered.

Films

Sicario (2015)
[#126 in 100 Films in a Year 2016]

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

Nowt this week! Plenty of stuff on the way though, so exciting weeks to come.

Number of titles in collection: 1,871 [no change]
Of which DVDs: 1,202 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 669 [no change]

Number of discs in collection: 4,811 [no change]
Number of films in collection: 2,060 [no change]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 7,306 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 473 [no change]

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

The Americans
4x05 Clark's Place

Miranda
1x02 Teacher [3rd watch]
For some reason the first series has different episode titles on the DVD. The first episode's changed from Date to It's a Date, while this one's become In the Mood.

Person of Interest
5x12 .exe

Films

The Imitation Game (2014)
[#125 in 100 Films in a Year 2016]

TV

Agatha Raisin
1x08 Murderous Marriage [season finale]
This series was good fun, on the whole. Hope they do more.

The Americans
4x04 Chloramphenicol

Miranda
1x01 Date [3rd watch]
Beginning a full re-watch. Have to say, I thought I'd seen this episode more. Maybe I forgot to log it.

Person of Interest
5x11 Synecdoche

TV

Agatha Raisin
1x07 Witch of Wyckhadden

The Americans
4x03 Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow

Person of Interest
5x10 The Day the World Went Away

Films

The Visit (2015)
[#124 in 100 Films in a Year 2016]

TV

Agatha Raisin
1x06 The Day the Floods Came

The Americans
4x02 Pastor Tim

Friday Night Dinner
4x01 The Two Tonys
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]

Person of Interest
5x09 Sotto Voce

Films

High-Rise (2015)
[#123 in 100 Films in a Year 2016]

TV

Agatha Raisin
1x05 Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet

The Americans
4x01 Glanders

Person of Interest
5x08 Reassortment

TV

Gilmore Girls
7x22 Bon Voyage [series finale]
Series finale, season finale; potayto, potahto...

Person of Interest
5x07 QSO

Films

Pride and Prejudice (1940)
[#122 in 100 Films in a Year 2016]

Zoolander (2001)
[#121 in 100 Films in a Year 2016]

this week on 100 Films

It may seem a while ago now, but the stunning final two episodes of Game of Thrones aired within the past month -- which makes them the centrepiece of 100 Films in a Year's TV review this month:




Elsewhere, 2 brand-new reviews were published this week...


Just Friends (2005)

Just Friends spends a long time feeling like a morally bankrupt movie. It’s unclear if it’s praising or condemning Chris’ frivolous lifestyle, if he needs saving by coming home, or if he deserves revenge on the people who mistreated him. We know what the standard Hollywood perspective on these things is, so kudos to some degree for dodging it, but it doesn’t commit to the other direction either.

Read more here.


White God (2014)

The film’s third act can pithily be described as Rise of the Planet of the Dogs: having seen the abuses of humans, an impounded Hagen leads a canine uprising that seeks to… well, they don’t speak (they’re dogs, remember, and this isn’t Disney), so who knows what their precise aims are? “Revenge” would be too cruel, but they definitely seeking some retribution.

Read more here.


Finally, my 100 Favourites series continued with 3 more posts...


The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

in the same way J.R.R. Tolkien considered it one long novel that had to be split up for the sake of publication, so too the movies work well — best, one could even argue — as a single 11½-hour experience. Having inducted the trilogy’s individual instalments into my 100 Favourites series [last week], I’ve covered most aspects of this epic moviemaking endeavour pretty thoroughly already, so here are links to each of my previous entries

Read more here.


Lost in Translation (2003)

the quality of the BAFTA-winning performances of Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson [create] a cross-generational pairing of two lost souls that feels real and touching, rather than tipping into some creepy love affair thing. Nonetheless, through to its ending the film plays with variations on melancholy — a difficult feeling to evoke in movies, in my opinion, but a level writer-director Sofia Coppola here hits with impressive consistency.

Read more here.


Man on Fire (2004)

Memorable Quote #1: “Creasy’s art is death. He’s about to paint his masterpiece.” — Rayburn
Memorable Quote #2: “Forgiveness is between them and God. It’s my job to arrange the meeting.” — Creasy

Read more here.


More next Sunday.

Films

Ten Little Indians (1974)
[#120 in 100 Films in a Year 2016]
aka And Then There Were None

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

Number of titles in collection: 1,871 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,202 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 669 [up 1]

Number of discs in collection: 4,811 [up 1]
Number of films in collection: 2,060 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 7,306 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 473 [no change]

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

Agatha Raisin
1x04 Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener

Person of Interest
5x06 A More Perfect Union

TV

Agatha Raisin
1x03 Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death

Gilmore Girls
7x21 Unto the Breach

Person of Interest
5x05 ShotSeeker

TV

Gilmore Girls
7x20 Lorelai? Lorelai?

Person of Interest
5x04 6,741

TV

Agatha Raisin
1x02 Hell's Bells

Films

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
[2nd watch]
This was #92 in 100 Films 2008.

TV

Agatha Raisin
1x01 Walkers of Dembley
Following on from the one-off they did a couple of years ago, Sky have produced a full series of these light and fluffy murder mysteries. It seems each episode adapts a whole novel in 45 minutes, which means either they must've cut a lot or those novels are really slight...

Gilmore Girls
7x19 It's Just Like Riding a Bike

Opera

Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville)
at Glyndebourne

this week on 100 Films

4 brand-new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...


Cinderella (2015)

Disney’s animated classic is re-imagined in live-action, losing the songs but expanding the story. The latter serves to find a little more realism in the setup (how Cinders became a servant to her stepmother, etc), as well as in the characters’ motivations and actions.

Read more here.


Crimson Peak (2015)

If you’ve not at least heard of The Castle of Otranto then there’s a chance your expectations of Crimson Peak may be misaligned. Which is not to say you won’t like it, especially if you’re of an open-minded disposition, but if having heard it’s “Gothic” and a “horror movie” has conjured up something Hammer-esque in your mind, then you are indeed off base. [It's] a Gothic Romance, which is as distinct from “horror” as it is from “romance”.

Read more here.


Spy (Extended Cut) (2015)

Apparently [writer-director Paul] Feig is a fan of James Bond and developed, wrote, produced, and directed Spy because he knew no one would ever let him do a real Bond movie. I guess that explains why some of it does work passably well as a genuine action/thriller.

Read more here.


Superman Returns (2006)

Sitting down to Superman Returns cold, it feels like you’re watching a sequel — and in many respects, that’s what it is. Singer loves the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, quite rightly, and when offered the chance to make a new movie with the character essentially set out to make Superman III... What was daft was making a sequel to a 26-year-old movie and assuming that the audience would be instantly familiar with the whole setup.

Read more here.


Also, my 100 Favourites series continued with 2 more posts...


The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

Although he’s covered by CGI in the final film, it’s Andy Serkis that really brings Gollum — and his alter ego, Sméagol — to life. It may have led to Serkis becoming the go-to expert in performance capture, but it’s also a great acting performance, full of light and shade, and creating sympathy for an ultimately villainous character.

Read more here.


The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

made infinitely better by its extended cut, which does clock in at a whopping four and a half hours. It’s a wonderful end to one of the most epic tales in all of fiction (and if I hear anything about the “five million endings” I’ll reach through your screen and slap you unless you can tell me how you would have ended an 11 hour film better).

Read more here.


More next Sunday.

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

Number of titles in collection: 1,870 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,202 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 668 [up 1]

Number of discs in collection: 4,810 [up 1]
Number of films in collection: 2,059 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 7,306 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 473 [no change]

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

Gilmore Girls
7x18 Hay Bale Maze

Person of Interest
5x03 Truth Be Told

Poldark
1x08 Episode 8 [season finale]

Films

American Ultra (2015)
[#119 in 100 Films in a Year 2016]

TV

Cowboy Bebop
1x17 Mushroom Samba
1x18 Speak Like a Child
Right, let's try this again (again).

Gilmore Girls
7x17 Gilmore Girls Only

Person of Interest
5x02 Snafu

Poldark
1x07 Episode 7

Preacher
1x05 South Will Rise Again
[Watch it (again) on Amazon Prime Instant Video.]

TV

Gilmore Girls
7x16 Will You Be My Lorelai Gilmore?
One of the few genuinely good episodes in the otherwise fairly dismal seventh season.

Person of Interest
5x01 B.S.O.D.
I think this final season has already ended in the US. Goodness knows when Channel 5 will show it here, so we're just getting on with it by... other means.

Poldark
1x06 Episode 6

Films

Cold in July (2014)
[#118 in 100 Films in a Year 2016]

TV

Gilmore Girls
7x15 I'm a Kayak, Hear Me Roar

Poldark
1x05 Episode 5
The new series seems to be imminent, so finally getting on with finishing the first (only 1¼ years since I left off!)

Films

Superman Returns (2006)
[#117 in 100 Films in a Year 2016]

TV

The South Bank Show [Sky Arts]
5x03 Russell T Davies

this week on 100 Films

3 brand-new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...


Ghosts of Mars (2001)

There are a good number of well-regarded John Carpenter films I’ve not seen that I could spend my time on, but I chose to expend it on this critically-mauled sci-fi-horror-Western from the first year of the current millennium. But sometimes watching poorly-regarded films pays off, because while Ghosts of Mars is no classic, it is actually pretty entertaining.

Read more here.


Grand Piano (2013)

Running under 80 minutes before the credits roll, Grand Piano is a brisk thriller that barely has time to be anything less than engrossing. It relies on keeping you entertained with its series of quick reveals, twists, and sequences of tension

Read more here.


Pillow Talk (1959)

The “they hate each other, will they get together?” storyline is, of course, obvious, but that’s beside the point. The leads spark off each other wonderfully, director Michael Gordon finds enjoyably inventive uses for split-screen and voiceover, and the Eastmancolor cinematography looks gorgeous in HD.

Read more here.


Also, my 100 Favourites series continued with 2 more posts...


The Lion King (1994)

Big romantic number Can You Feel the Love Tonight won the Oscar, and there were nominations for epic opener Circle of Life and quotable comedy hit Hakuna Matata, and you shouldn’t overlook the fun and impressive choreography of I Just Can’t Wait to Be King, but for me the best number is Scar’s Be Prepared. I do love a good villain’s song.

Read more here.


The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Now that it’s fêted as one of the greatest film trilogies ever made, it’s easy to forget what a gamble a three-film, $300 million adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s unfilmable novel seemed back when production started in the late ’90s; especially as it was to be made by a director whose track record was low-budget horror films, with a cast mostly without star names, filmed on the other side of the planet, where little news leaked out to the wider world, and with all three films shot at once... [But] the quality of the work is unquestionable: this is exciting, funny, emotional, transportive, epic filmmaking of the highest order.

Read more here.


More next Sunday.

Films

Zootropolis (2016)
[#116 in 100 Films in a Year 2016]

aka Zootopia

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

Just one addition this week... but it's a 23-disc, 92-episode TV box set. Big boosts for those updates, then -- and it comes just in time for the monthly running time update, too.

Number of titles in collection: 1,869 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,202 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 667 [up 1]

Number of discs in collection: 4,809 [up 23]
Number of films in collection: 2,058 [no change]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 7,306 [up 92]
Number of short films in collection: 473 [no change]

Total running time of collection (approx.):
353 days and 37 minutes.
(Up 3 days, 6 hours, and 12 minutes from last month.)

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

Preacher
1x04 Monster Swamp
[Watch it (again) on Amazon Prime Instant Video.]

Articles

Warcraft Wasn't Made For You: Alienated Viewers and Disengaged Critics
by Richard Newby (from Audiences Everywhere)

Great piece on the abundance of poorly-reviewed films this year being more to do with bad criticism than bad movies.

this week on 100 Films

It's a new month, which means this update begins with a look back at June on 100 Films in a Year...




Also this week, my 100 Favourites project passed the halfway mark. Here's a post marking that occasion:




With those goings on, just 1 brand-new review was published this week...


Adam (2009)

Star Hugh Dancy worked with with writer-director Max Mayer for a month before filming began to develop the character, and spoke with individuals affected by Aspergers to learn about their feelings, sensory issues, and interests. It clearly paid off: I imagine it must be tricky to pull off a character like that without taking it too far, but Dancy is great in the role.

Read more here.


Finally, there were 2 new regular 100 Favourites posts...


Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

it’s a clever, witty, gothic adventure… for kids! Jim Carrey is on fine form as the evil Count Olaf, there’s quality support from some recognisable thesps in guest-star-level roles, the kids are a likeable bunch, and baby Sunny’s subtitled observations are frequently the highlight. Some reviews describe it as “superficial” or a “pantomime”, but even if it is, it’s devilishly entertaining.

Read more here.


Léon (1994)

Besson brews the grittily realistic with something far more fantastical to create a film that is, perhaps, a little too unique for some to get a handle on... For the majority, however, Léon is a gripping, characterful, rewatchable masterpiece.

Read more here.


More next Sunday.

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

This week, I picked up the Tarantino XX Blu-ray box set in a sale. It replaces 6 DVDs and 1 Blu-ray (and there's one other film in the set which I'm keeping my individual copy of, just for the packaging). So, that's how I've gone down 6 titles but only down 1 disc and yet somehow up 1 film.

Number of titles in collection: 1,868 [down 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,202 [down 6]
Of which Blu-rays: 666 [no change]

Number of discs in collection: 4,786 [down 1]
Number of films in collection: 2,058 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 7,214 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 473 [no change]

See you next week, faithful reader.